Tubing



March 12, 1935. w. M. HUcK Er AL.

TUBING Filed Feb.

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yPatented Mar. 12, 1935 v y 1,993,965* TUBING 'Y ,I WallaceM. Huck andEva'r J.'Lindbrg,` Chicago,

Ill., 'assignors to Chicago Tubing and Braiding A Company,

Illinois Chicago, Ill., afcorporaltion of if Application-February 3, 1930.y Serial No. 425,462.

1 Claim. (01.'137-1-1'15) I .f5 is? usual:V that a` pipe iszinserted about the `exhaust lli-1 line, and this pipe* has communication with a lheater mounted on theautomobile floor, whereby the heat drivenoi by the exhaust piping .will b`e` carried through the pipeiand'heater member .and into the .interior of :the car to heat the same.; In order toapply this `pipe aboutfthe exhaust line', itv is necessaryY to either cut theexhaust lline or disconnect the exhaustline from the muier. In eitherjcase, theinstallation 'is expensiveiiflhe present invention makes provision'for installing a pipe or tubing about the exhaust line'without the` necessity of cuttingzthe exhaust line or dis' connecting the line -from the muler. The means employed consist. in providing new .and novel means lfor splitting the Y pipe longitudinally so that it may be inserted longitudinally over any existing pipe line.: i' f The primaryobject ofthe invention is to provide tubing which can bein'serted longitudinally over a. membersuch asa pipe.r

Another object of the inventionis to provide exible helically formed'metal tubing, whichcan be inserted longitudinallyover a pipe or other member, and which is provided with `interlocking means for. securing. the tubing together l lon# gitudinally. I i Another object is to provideflexible` metal vtubing with a longitudinal slit to permitthe' tubing tofbeinsertedlongitudinally over apipe or other member, and. which is provided with interlocking means at the edges along the slit,"wherebythe tubing may be. snapped into position, f

A further object is to provide flexible helicall formedA metal Vtubing with a longitudinal slit, which isf-provided .with turned lips o'nieach` side of the slit for interlocking engagement with each f. other; 'which isVpro'vid'ed with a depression along one side; .whereby theperipheral diameter of the tubing will not be increased when it is `interlocked longitudinally, and which is provided with crimps `formed longitudinally on the body of the tubing to give hinge-like eiect to the tubing, whereby it may be easily spread apart and springingly kor resiliently urged together to close ing position.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the vfollowing specification.

The invention comprises in general, iiexible metal tubing, which is made up of a continuousr spirally formed" strip-.shaving interlocking edges,

wherebya continuous exible.tubingis, lformed when-thegedges vare interlocked. ."I'hisgtubingnis split longitudinally, .andA one edgef is bentoVIer substantiall-yat with upstanding.' lips ,provided at .the free -gendfothe flattened portion'. 'The other. free end ,ofthet'ube alongg'the: slitisprovided with fa down turned lip, which is adapted to engage with thefupturnedlip, theflattened portion taking-up .the` space which... the ydown turned lips Wouldordinarily require `to maintain the tube withinfitslfordinary peripheralflimits when theedges are-locked. fThis split tubing. is

substantially '.spring'y and normally.tendsv to' spreadaapartwWhen the lips are engaged orli'n'- terlockecLi. this sprin'gy;.a`ction tends to holdithe'- lips in interlockedposition to prevent opening of the` tubing. "The tubingmay alsobe-crimped longitudinally thereof at one or moreplacesto lprovide ahinge-like Iportion for 'the tubing lto permitv the'tubing to' beeasily compressed to open it or to be'easily contracted to cause interlocking 'oithelipsl l i; f .The accompanyingfdrawing illustrates "a sellected embodimentof the invention andthe views thereinfare as follows:v I f f il f Figure '1 is adetailfelevation of a .heating des .vice operatively connected to, an automobile;

Figure 2 is ardetail sectional view.vr showinglthe improvedtubingfpartially'inserted over an ex'- haustline;v i n j Figure 3 isasimilarviewshowing' the tubing arranged aboutfthe exhaustline and in inter- `lockedposition; x i i l f Figure `4'is--aviewsimilar to Figure 3 showing clampingk `means arranged' about the'tubing to` maintain the lipsin interlocked position;-

Figure `5. is'- vaydetail `p'ersp'ective'view showing the manner in which the improved tubing iscon- Figureu is. aV` detailsectional-fview showing a Vmodiiied'fform'of' providing a hinge effect 4to the mounted on the oor 12 of the automobile. The

forward end 13 of the tubing 10 is provided with lll.)

an intake line 14, whereby air circulated by the fan 15 is driven through the tubing 10, heated by the exhaust pipe 8 and then passed through the heater element 11 to warm the interior of the car.

'Ihe improved tubing 10 is preferably made up of a single strip 16, which is helically or spirally arranged about'a circumference, and is provided with interlocking means at its upper and lower edges, as clearly shown in Figure 1 for forming continuous flexible metal tubing.

The completed tubing is split longitudinally along the line 17, Figure 1, to provide the'longitudinal free edges 18 and 19. The vfree edge 19 is flattened at 20, and a lip 21 is bent over from this flattened portion, as clearly shown in Figures 2 to 5. The free end 18 is provided with a down turned lip 22, which is'adapted to engage and interlock with the upturned lip 21. 'Ihe material from which the vtubing is made is relatively resilient and tends to spread apart.` When the lip 22 is engaged and interlocked with the lip 21, this springy'condition tends to keep the lip 22 into interlocked engagement with the lip 21..r By pro'- viding the flattened portion 20, the seam or ridge formed by the interlocking of the lips is located Within the peripheral circumference of the tubing, as shown in Figure 3. 1 y f In order to render the tubing more flexible, it may be crimped longitudinally at 23 and 24 to pro-l vide a hinge action, whereby the tubing may be more easily spread apart and then snapped into position. To prevent the tubing from opening, clamps 25, Figure 4, may be installed about the tubing at certain intervals, and these clamps are maintained in fixed position in any suitable manner, such as by a nut 26 engaging a bolt 27, which passes through the flanges 28 of the clamps.

In Figure 6, the tubing 10 is provided with a down turnedlip 30 which is received in `a groove 31 which is formed between the portions 32 and 33. The portions 32 and 33 act to prevent movement of the interengaging members, particularly should the clamps shown in Figure 4 be tightened beyond normal position. This present construction connes the lip 30 between the portions 32 and 33 Which act as abutments or stops for the lip 30 and prevents disengagement ofthe lip 30 from the groove shouldpressure be applied to the outside of the tubing. 4These portions or abutments 32 and 33 answer the same purpose as the screw shown extending through the. clamp shown in Figure 4. 'I'his screwv prevents one edge of the tubing from moving beyond the screw while movement in the reverse direction is prevented by the engagement ofthe lips. In either case it is assured that the tubing will notopen should pressure be exerted thereagainst by accident.l f

Also in Figure 6 a hinge action is provided by cutting the tubing part-way through the material as indicated at 34. This cutting performs the same function as that performed by the crlmps 23 or 24. This part-way cut, or if crimping is desired, a crimp, is preferably made at a point less than 180 degrees from the slit on the side on which the lip 30 is arranged. By placing the cut or crimp in this position and as shown at 34 in Figure 6, the portion 35 of the tubing is relatively short while the remaining portion 36 is relatively long. In operation the portion 36 is the movable portion as the groove 31 must be pressed under the lip 30 to cause interlocking of the two ends at the slit. The portion 34 thus has a long range of movement and prevents the tubing from being pressed beyond its elastic or resilient characteristic and become permanently deformed. In other words, if pressure is forced against the tubing, the part orl portion 36 must move inwardly and the edge 32 Would then engage the inside of part or portion 34 and prevent further movement of the portion 36, thereby preventing it from becoming permanently collapsed, and permitting the tubing lto retain its resiliency.

In operation the tubing," such as shown in vFigure 5, is spread apart and placed over the exhaust line 8, Figure 2, and when inserted over the exhaust line,ris 'interlocked together as shown in Figure 3. The connection to the air means 14 and to the heater is made, and the clamps 25 are then secured thereabout for holding the tubing in proper operative position. When the tubing is to be removed from the exhaust line, it is only necessary to press on the flattened portion 20 to disengage the lip 21 from the lip 22, the springy action of the tubing causing it to spread apart, as shown in Figure 5, when it may be pulled olf from the exhaust line. i

The invention provides a novel means for mak` ing the necessary connections to an automobile heating element. By spreading the tube longitudinally the tube can be inserted longitudinally over the exhaust line and then collapsed sufficiently to bring the lips into interlocked position. The resiliency `of the tubing causes the lips to remain interlocked, and a slight pressure along one of the edges adjacent the slit permits the lips to be disengaged and the tube readily removed.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement ofthe parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claim.

The inventionis hereby claimed as follows:

VAs a unitary structure, a laterally flexible metallic tube split lengthwise, the edges defining said split being removablyv intertted, said tube being deformed along a pair of substantially parallel spaced lines said lines being also substantially parallel to the edges defining the split thereby to facilitate spreading of the tube.

WALLACE M.y HUCK. EVAR J. LINDBERG. 

